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US 9,283,502 B2Granted
Inertial extraction system
AssigneeOrbital ATK, Inc.
InventorsVladimir Balepin, Anthony Castrogiovanni, Florin Girlea, Andrew Robertson, Pasquale Sforza
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Disclosed herein are supersonic separation systems that can be used for the removal of CO2 from a mixed gas stream. Also disclosed are methods for the separation and subsequent collection of solidified CO2 from a gas stream.
Claims22
A supersonic CO2 separation system comprising:
- a supersonic device comprising:
- an entrance for a low pressure gas stream comprising CO2;
- a shroud;
- a centerbody;
- a converging/diverging annular duct between the shroud and the centerbody;
- a capture slot configured and positioned to remove particles of solid CO2 to form a solid CO2 stream;
- and
- an exit for a supersonic CO2-depleted gas stream;
- a diffuser configured and positioned to reduce a velocity of the supersonic CO2-depleted gas stream to a subsonic speed, and exhibiting a subsonic gas stream exit;
- an ejector apparatus comprising:
- an ejector inlet connected to the subsonic gas stream exit;
- a high pressure fluid inlet duct for inducing a low pressure;
- and
- an ejector apparatus exit;
- a swirl generator within the converging/diverging annular duct;
- a capture duct comprising an inlet connected to the capture slot, a connection duct tangential to the inlet, and an outlet tangential to the connection duct;
- a cyclone particle separator comprising:
- a separator inlet connected to the outlet of the capture duct;
- a separator exit for a product stream comprising solid CO2;
- and
- a slip gas exit;
- and
- a slip gas recirculation line extending from the slip gas exit and partially through the centerbody of the supersonic device along a centerline of the centerbody, sidewalls of the slip gas recirculation line connected to injection holes within the centerbody exiting into a diverging portion of the converging/diverging annular duct.
20 more elements
A supersonic CO2 separation system comprising:
- a supersonic device comprising:
- an entrance for a low pressure gas stream comprising CO2;
- a shroud;
- a centerbody;
- a converging/diverging annular duct between the shroud and the centerbody;
- a capture slot for receiving solid CO2;
- and
- an exit for a supersonic CO2-depleted gas stream;
- a capture duct configured to substantially reduce the axial velocity of a material stream directed thereto while maintaining the tangential momentum of the material stream, the capture duct comprising an inlet connected to the capture slot, a duct connected to the inlet, and an outlet connected to the duct and tangentially aligned with at least one of the capture slot or the duct;
- a diffuser configured to reduce the velocity of the supersonic CO2-depleted gas stream to a subsonic speed, the diffuser having a subsonic gas stream exit and comprising:
- a converging and diverging section;
- and
- a movable pintle in a fixed outer duct, a diffuser cross-sectional area depending on the position of the movable pintle in the fixed outer duct;
- a swirl generator positioned in the converging/diverging annular duct and having a swirl generator entrance and a swirl generator exit, a converging/diverging annular duct radius at the swirl generator entrance greater than at the swirl generator exit;
- and
- a slip gas recirculation line connected to a particle separator downstream of the capture duct and extending from the particle separator and partially through the centerbody of the supersonic device along a centerline of the centerbody, sidewalls of the slip gas recirculation line connected to injection holes within the centerbody exiting into a diverging portion of the converging/diverging annular duct.
13 more elements
A method for removing CO2 from a low pressure gas stream, the method comprising:
- introducing the low pressure gas stream into a supersonic device and accelerating the gas stream to supersonic speeds, the supersonic device comprising an entrance for the low pressure gas, a shroud, a centerbody, a converging/diverging annular duct between the shroud and the centerbody, a capture slot, and an exit;
- swirling the low pressure gas stream while at supersonic speeds using a swirl generator within the converging/diverging annular duct to form a swirling flow stream;
- removing particles of solid CO2 from the swirling flow stream using the capture slot of the supersonic device to form a solid CO2 stream and a supersonic CO2-depleted gas stream;
- reducing the velocity of the supersonic CO2-depleted gas stream to a subsonic speed using a diffuser to form a subsonic gas stream;
- directing the subsonic gas stream through an ejector apparatus comprising an ejector inlet connected to an exit of the diffuser, a high pressure fluid inlet duct for inducing a low pressure, and an ejector apparatus exit;
- directing the solid CO2 stream through a capture duct comprising an inlet connected to the capture slot, a connection duct tangential to the inlet, and an outlet tangential to the connection duct;
- delivering the solid CO2 stream from the capture duct into a cyclone particle separator to form product stream comprising solid CO2 and a slip gas, the cyclone particle separator comprising a separator inlet connected to the outlet of the capture duct, a separator exit for the product stream, and a slip gas exit;
- and
- recirculating the slip gas into the supersonic device using a slip gas recirculation line extending from the slip gas exit and partially through the centerbody of the supersonic device along a centerline of the centerbody, sidewalls of the slip gas recirculation line connected to injection holes within the centerbody exiting into a diverging portion of the converging/diverging duct.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.